Classic Rock News

MCVIE ADMITS MISSING MUSIC SPARKED RETURN TO FLEETWOOD MAC
The news longtime Fleetwood Mac fans had been waiting for arrived last week when the group confirmed the return of Christine McVie and announced their On With the Sow reunion tour. In an interview with Rolling Stone, McVie spoke about her decision to reunite with her bandmates for the first time since she quit in 1998, saying, “I started to think, ‘What am I doing? I really miss that camaraderie with those four people. I missed the music, to be able to create again. I knew that they were my musical family.” She added, “Being back is really a time warp. The tour is going to be great fun. I feel like a pig in poo right now.” The tour begins September 30 in Minneapolis.
SANTANA SELECTED FOR OFFICIAL ANTHEM OF THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP
Rock and Roll Hal of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana along with fellow global superstars Wyclef Jean, Avicii and Brazilian singer Alexandre Pires are featured on “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way),” the official anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, kicking off June 12 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The uplifting and inspiring number will be released late April and will be performed at the globe’s greatest soccer spectacle’s Closing Ceremony July 13 at mammoth Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Santana said, “Along with my brothers Wyclef, Avicii and Alexandre Pires, we look forward to performing the song in Rio de Janeiro in July and sharing this message of light and hope on the FIFA World Cup stage.” Meanwhile, Santana is set to release his new album Corazon on May 6.
PETTY EYES SUMMER RELEASE FOR NEW ALBUM HYPNOTIC EYE
Fans of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers can start salivating at the thought of holding a new TP and the HBs album in their hands sometime this summer. Petty told Rolling Stone work on the next band release Hypnotic Eye is almost complete, and noted that the record should be ready by summer. As for what it will sound like, Petty said, “I knew I wanted to do a rock n’ roll record. We hadn’t made a straight hard-rockin’ record, from beginning to end, in a long time.”
LENNON LETTER TO SPECTOR SELLS FOR $88K
A letter written by John Lennon to legendary producer Phil Spector in the early 70s sold for $88,000 at auction last week, despite pre-sale predictions the note would fetch no more than between $6,500 and $10,000. Lennon and Spector were working at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles along with The Who drummer Keith Moon and singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson when the former Beatle wrote the letter titled: “A Matter of Pee.” Lennon informed Spector: “Should you not yet know, it was Harry and Keith who pissed on the console! We left at 11:30…”
JOHN, LONGTIME PARTNER PLAN TO MARRY IN MAY
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Elton John and his longtime partner David Furnsih are eyeing a May wedding. The two, who share two sons, entered into a British civil partnership in 2005, but now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in England they plan to take the next step in their longtime relationship. Furnish told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “We don’t feel the need to take an extra step legally. But since we’re committed for life, we feel it’s really important to take that step, and take advantage of that amazing change in legislation. We all live by example.”
MOTORHEAD PUTS BRAKES ON MONTH’S WORTH OF FESTIVAL DATES
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Motorhead has cancelled some upcoming tour date. On Saturday, the legendary heavy metal act announced they are scrapping planned appearances at a number of festivals in April and May, including Welcome to Rockville in Jacksonville, FL, Carolina Rebellion in Charlotte, Rock on the range in Columbus, OH and Rocklahoma in Pryor. So far, the group hasn’t offered a reason for the cancelations.
POLICE RELEASE PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PHOTOS OF COBAIN DEATH SCENE
Seattle police last week released a number of previously unseen photographs of Kurt Cobain’s death scene which include snapshots of the late Nirvana frontman’s suicide note, drug paraphernalia and his driver’s license. Cobain’s April 5, 1994 death was officially ruled a suicide, but last week many assumed police were looking to reopen the case, however Seattle PD said after reexamining the evidence they determined there was nothing found that would warrant further investigation.
THE FLAMING LIPS DELIVER DIGITAL-ONLY FLAMING SIDE OF THE MOON
Oklahoma-bred rockers The Flaming Lips continue to meddle (so to speak) with the music of Pink Floyd with the release of the digital-only Flaming Side of the Moon (available now), designed as an immersive companion piece to the original 1973 classic album Dark Side of the Moon. Listeners are encouraged to listen to Flaming Side while listening to Dark Side at the same time. In addition, Flaming Side syncs up with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.